<p>So im a Sophomore at Franklin High School and my only goal in life is to go to Cornell University for Biomedical Engineering. The only problem is that i was placed in Algerbra 1 freshman year, and Cornell says i must be in Calculus as a senior to be offered admission. In California, almost everywhere summer school has been closed due to budget cuts, which makes it really hard to take my class, i found a class but its $600 dollars and we dont have that type of money for just one class right now. Any other options to do?
Stats
*3.53 Cumulative (Improve by way because taking Ap and Honors Classes)
*Obviously havent taken SAT'S yet
Extra Curricular's
*YES( Youth Energized Spirt) Church Group
*ASB/ Leadership Representative (Help plan dances and events at our school)
*STEM Academy(School of Technology, Engineering and Media), obviously i am doing the Engineering part
*FFA (Future Farmers of America) obviously i don't want to be a farmer but i want to broaden my learning
*CSF (California Scholarship Federation)
*Challenge Day Be The Change Member (Hopefully Becoming a Leader this year)
*MESA (Mathematics, Engineering Science Achievement)
*NHS (National Honors Society) hopefully this year
*Key Club (Community Service throughout my city)
*African Club
Jobs or Employment
*Soccer Officiate/Referee from 2009 to ongoing
What do you guys think? Obviously i have a lot more to do especially increase my GPA, but what about the math class crisis?</p>
<p>“my only goal in life is to go to Cornell University for Biomedical Engineering”</p>
<p>The real issues is not your math grade but the fact that you’re fetishizing something that has such a low probability, you’re on the road to disaster. If you want to improve on your math, apply some analysis to your situation and the Cornell admit rate. Hopefully you’ll drag some reality and calmness into your life.</p>
<p>But to your question: isn’t the route Alg 1, Geometry, Alg II and then Calculus? That’s what I took. If you get onto the honors Geometry and Alg II route, isn’t Calculus your natural senior year offering?</p>
<p>Call over there and ask about it. Admissions usually sees what your school offers, so if the class isn’t there for you to take, then idk that you could be punished for it. Have you looked into taking a community college course during the summer or school year? I know here (NC, big difference I know…) if you’re dual enrolled in high school and community college, your tuition is free at the local community college. Look into that!</p>
<p>@T26E4. I am being real? BOTH of my cousins just got in with a 3.7, and remember im just a sophomore, i am on the road to success, and no because you have to take Precalculus.</p>
<p>There’s no honors track that lets you go from ALG II into Calculus? That’s what my top HS had. Everyone took ALG I as freshmen, Geometry as Soph, ALG II as Juniors and then as Seniors, we took AP Calc, Calc or Pre-Calc.</p>
<p>Does your HS allow you to place out of courses? That’s what my HS allows. For example, say you want to test out of Pre-Calc, you would go to your GC and tell him/her that. Then you’d go to the teacher of that course you’re placing out of to receive a textbook and study guide. Over the summer you will study the material independently, then you will take a test a few weeks before the next school year begins. If you get a C+ or higher on the test, you will be able to skip that course and move onto the next.</p>
<p>guys, OP is obviously asking because there are no other options at the school- at my school you can place ahead either in 8th grade or through summer school, but most seniors take trig, and i’m sure a lot of other schools are like that and more rigid. OP, not that you really need to be worrying about this issue this early, but you can just explain in the additional information section of your app that taking calculus wasn’t an option for you, and college admissions should be accepting. however, i agree with T26E4 that while it’s totally ok to have a first choice school, it’s really not healthy to focus on a single school- i would recommend spending some of this summer looking around on different websites to see all the other schools there are out there that would be great for you, because there really are a lot of great options besides cornell.</p>
<p>OP - are you a rising sophomore? If so, you may be able to take Geometry and Alg II at the same time as a sophomore, then be ready for PreCalc as a junior. Many schools will allow this, and since Alg II doesn’t really build on Geometry, it’s OK to take them concurrently. If you’re a rising junior it may be more difficult to double up. </p>
<p>And general but absolutely correct advice for anyone - you have to lose the “Cornell or bust” attitude. I say this with kindness. There isn’t a student anywhere who should bank on getting into an Ivy. It’s great to have that goal - keep it in your sights, work toward it, make the most of every opportunity you have, but when it comes time to apply to colleges you need reaches, matches, and safeties, just like everyone else! If you want Cornell to be one of your reaches, that’s absolutely fine, but you need to apply to some schools that are matches and safeties (including financial safeties). No Ivy or similar school is a match for anyone. That doesn’t mean you won’t get in, but please don’t count on it, and don’t believe it’s the only definition of success. </p>
<p>Good luck to you!</p>
<p>I have to say that I’m very jealous that some CC’ers have schools that let them skip courses :(</p>
<p>@OP you could explain to Cornell that you had no other options available. other than that, you can try taking a course next summer, rather than this one.</p>